The Good and not so Good of the Browns Preseason Debut

The Cleveland Browns outclassed the Jacksonville Jaguars in their preseason opener, a testament to the talent the Browns have at their disposal. There were plenty of good things that occurred, but certainly a number of areas that need to improve by the time the season starts.

There were plenty of areas where the Cleveland Browns shined, outclassing the Jacksonville Jaguars in their preseason opener, but there were some spots that need to improve over the next few weeks.

The Browns twos were able to outplay the Jaguars ones early in the game, which is a statement about where the Browns are in terms of talent. Nevertheless, there were more than a few problems that the Browns will have to figure out in short order or they may be forced to try to find help outside the organization.

The good and not so good of the Browns first preseason game.

Good: Richard LeCounte III, Safety

For a player that was drafted while still recovering from a dirt bike accident that ended his season and career at the University of Georgia, LeCounte looked fully healthy and fast, able to show everything the Browns liked about him when they selected him in the sixth round.

LeCounte displayed excellent range and the ability to play the ball. On his first pass deflection, he had an opportunity to intercept the pass. He couldn't make the play, which would've been a tremendous highlight, but it was still a good play.

LeCounte was able to get an interception at the end of the half when he caught what amounted to be an arm punt in full stride and returned it the other way. He almost found a seam to break it all the way, but was tackled near midfield and fumbled the ball.

He also had a sack and a quarterback hit in the game. A tremendous debut and a huge moment for a player who's football career was in flux six months ago.

Not so good: Sheldrick Redwine

Redwine was unable to play in the game due to injury and that's exactly the problem. LeCounte put some fantastic plays on tape, giving plenty of reasons for the Browns to be excited about his prospects and Redwine is in the incredibly difficult position of sitting idle.

That's not Redwine's fault; simply the unfortunate reality of the situation. Redwine needs to be able to play and make the case he should stick as the Browns backup free safety. It's possible the Browns could end up keeping both LeCounte and Redwine rather than keeping a pure backup strong safety on the roster, but if the decision comes down to these two, Redwine finds himself at an early disadvantage.

Good: Alex Taylor, Offensive Tackle

Alex Taylor entered the NFL as a former basketball player with a frame that was trying to put on weight to be an NFL tackle. He looked promising enough under the guidance of offensive line coach Bill Callahan that he almost made the active roster in 2020, but was added to the practice squad and a futures contract.

Against the Jaguars, he looked like an offensive tackle. Ridiculous length at 6'8" and light on his feet, it's a massive undertaking to get around him. He also anchored pretty well against the Jaguars, showing good flexibility. Taylor's run blocking is still a work in progress, but he's got the athletic tools to be a great fit in the Browns zone scheme.

Taylor played well largely against third stringers, so he needs to prove he can do it against better competition.

Not So Good: James Hudson III, Offensive Tackle

James Hudson looked like a rookie with limited experience at offensive tackle. Nerves may have played a role, but he had a difficult debut. He had some struggles in pass protection and ended up with a few ugly run reps with opponents getting out of his blocks.

Given his path to the NFL, none of this is terribly surprising. He put together some extremely promising tape at the University of Cincinnati, but he's got a lot of work to do before the Browns can put him into a game on Sunday. That's part of the attraction with him for Callahan. He has the tools and demeanor to be a good blocker with an edge, but it won't happen over night.

Good: Michael Dunn, Offensive Guard

Michael Dunn has played in one NFL game. It was the wildcard matchup with the Pittsburgh Steelers, where he was not just enough. Not just good. Dunn was great. He couldn't finish the game due to an injury, but a potential weakness proved a major advantage.

Against the Jaguars, Dunn was the best offensive linemen who played in the game. He was also about the only offensive lineman on the Browns who created any meaningful push in the running game.

Much could change between combined practices and two more preseason games, but right this second, Dunn looks to be the sixth man on this offensive line, including Chris Hubbard, though Dunn can only play inside.

Not so good: Drew Forbes, Offensive Guard

Forbes was excellent in pass protection. His strength is obvious and once he  locks on, the rep is largely over. His pad level was high throughout his time in the game, including in pass protection, but his strength made up for it.

In the running game, Forbes displayed fantastic athleticism, but playing so high also made him narrow and he had some issues hitting moving targets. It's great that he was so effective in pass protection, but he was to be a tremendous run blocker. That's still a possibility, but he's got to play lower, more under control.

Over the next few weeks, this will hopefully improve and he can be the franchise guard he's always profiled to be.

Good: Pass Protection

The Browns were pretty sound across the board in pass protection. There were some bad reps by players, resulting in a sack and four quarterback hits but Browns quarterbacks had the time to operate overall.

Not so good: Run Blocking

The Browns struggled to get any push in run blocking throughout the game. Early on, it seemed like they were going to get around 2.8 yards per carry, which is bad enough. Then John Kelly tried to bounce a bunch of plays outside and ended up with -1 yards on eight carries which dropped the average to a putrid 1.6 yards per carry, resulting in 41 yards on 26 carries with a long of seven. That was from Johnny Stanton, the team's backup fullback.

Good: Andy Janovich and Johnny Stanton, Fullbacks

Andy Janovich got to display his receiving ability, which has been a genuine asset throughout his career with the exception of one year, his first with the Browns. Drops and missed opportunities plagued him in 2020, but in this game against the Jaguars, he looked like his old self.

Johnny Stanton running was fine as a short yardage back. He also had the longest Browns run of the game at 7. He also chipped in a pair of receptions for 14 yards. Likely, still going to be the backup fullback operating from the practice squad, Stanton provided reason to be confident if he needs to play, he can help the offense.

Not so good: John Kelly, Running back

He didn't get much help in terms of run blocking, but he consistently made bad situations worse. Kelly kept trying to bounce runs outside that should not have been and ended up going backwards at times in order to try to create something out of nothing.

It was not all bad for Kelly as he was an asset in the passing game. He did a nice job in the screen game and was able to chip in 44 yards on four receptions.

The challenge for Kelly is he needs to show more as a runner going forward if he wants to make the active roster, because Demetric Felton was outstanding as a receiver and can simply do more than Kelly.

Good: Blitzing

Highlighted by Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, who got a sack on the first play he played on defense, that really became where the Browns put pressure on the opposing passer. Richard LeCounte also had a sack.

Not so good: Pass Rush

After Sheldon Day's sack that started the game, the Browns pass rush from their front four was a struggle. Porter Gustin was able to get home on a sack as well, but the rest of the group struggled to generate any pressure. Curtis Weaver was a sound run defender in the game, but did next to nothing as a pass rusher.

With Takkarist McKinley's status for the season unclear, this situation needs to improve in a hurry or the Browns may do some shopping for additional help.

Good: Sheldon Day, Defensive Tackle

It's very difficult to place Sheldon Day on the Browns active roster, but he had a nice game in Jacksonville. He's a veteran, so in some ways, he should, but largely against Jaguars starters, he was able to immediately cause a sack and get another quarterback hit.

27 years old, he finds himself in a challenging situation. On the one hand, the Browns have Malik Jackson as the three ahead of him and Jordan Elliott, who is entering year two. The fact the Browns may carry three nose tackles could be the other issue for Day, so he has to keep playing well and force the Browns into an excruciating decision where they feel they simply cannot let him go, forced to let go one of their youngsters.

Not so good: Tommy Togiai and Marvin Wilson, Defensive Tackles

It's incredibly difficult to come into the NFL as a young nose tackle and make an immediate contribution. Togiai (21) and Wilson (22) found that out the hard way against the Jaguars and struggled to make an impact.

Andrew Billings wasn't good either in this game, though he probably gets a little more slack since this seemed less about evaluation and more about getting him in game shape.

The Browns need to see significant improvement from this group before the season starts. They may be more than willing to keep three pure nose tackles, but they need them to productive. Nose tackle was a major issue for the Browns in 2020 in terms of what they need from the position.

They need multiple guys who can demand double teams in order to protect the second level defenders, enabling them to fly around and make plays. It would also create favorable matchups for players like Myles Garrett, Jadeveon Clowney and Malik Jackson when playing the run.

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